Did you happen to see posters dotted along the trees on the canal recently? They were put up by Friends of The Grand Canal group who organise monthly meet ups for volunteers looking to their part in keeping the canal clean and beautiful.

It was our very first time participating in the Grand Canal clean up on Saturday and it was the easiest and best thing we could do for our native Portobello. The team of volunteers assemble at 10am by Leeson St. bridge and are given litter pickers, gloves, high-vis jackets and bin bags along with a brief intro and guide to picking up rubbish. Our leader at the weekend was Stephen, a long time patron of this effort and very knowledgeable about the Dublin waterways and issues with waste. We split up into groups and went in opposite directions in order to cover the length of the canal.

It was unbelievable how quickly the bags filled up with everything from old backpacks and cans, to cigarette butts and household waste.

The two hours of volunteering absolutely flew by, there was great energy and motivation from all involved, and plenty of stories to share. At the end, we were treated to a much needed cup of coffee and sweet treat kindly organised by the group. The group gathers on the first Saturday of the month and they haven’t missed one day in over a decade! We’ll be sure to come along for the future clean ups, will we see you there?